Bar Carolina

Good Food hat15/20Critics' PickUpdated October 12, 2026,first published November 18, 2024Good Food hat15/20Critics' PickBar CarolinaItalian$$$This venue is included in Good Food’s 100 Essential Restaurants list.Rarely has a duo been as in tune as Karen Martini and Bar Carolina. Since taking over the slick bolthole last year, the Melbourne super chef has displayed an easy grasp of South Yarra’s needs, delivering the familiarity to keep regulars happy and the fireworks to win new fans. Her menu works the nexus between dependable and luxe.Take the roast chicken, an exemplary wood-fired bird with burnished skin and a rosemary jus you’d happily bathe in. Pasta also strikes gold, particularly the trifecta of sweet prawn meat, garlicky oil and supple house-made spaghetti. But first you might want to spend time with a classic vitello tonnato, flavours amped to 11 with Martini’s maximalist touch.There’s a matching buzz to the crowd who are almost as soignee as the bigne, an Italified eclair that’s a note-perfect finish.Good to know: Kick on with a martini at next door sibling bar Tetto Di Carolina.Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.Sign upLast visited: August 2026More:South YarraBar CarolinaMelbourneItalianAccepts bookingsSeparate barGood for solo dinersDate nightOutdoor diningVegetarian-friendlyLicensedWheelchair accessFamily-friendlyGood for groupsGood for a first dateCommunity hubLong lunchRestaurantReviewsGood Food Guide100 Essential RestaurantsCritics’ PickFrom our partners